Can't Be Caught
by HarajukuOtaku
Summary: "He's like a ripple on the water. He's a man that can't be caught." Korra's pissed at Mako, Mako doesn't care. Slight Korra/Mako if you squint, but not really any ship. K 'cuz K is lame.


**A.N: My first attempt at writing stuff in this universe, so if they're OOC, please leave tips in the comments. (I dunno if anything can really be classified as OOC yet, because of the whole two-episodes-in thing.) This is post-second eppi, pre-third, by the way,**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the keyboard and iPad I'm writing this on. All characters belong to their creators, not me. Quotes by Natsuki Takaya.**

_"He's like a ripple on the water. If you try to bring it close to you, it pulls away. Though it may brush against your feet, if you try to catch it, it will pull farther away. _

_He's a man that can't be caught."_

As far as 'being the leaf' went, Mako had it down much better than she did. After that first (and only) compliment after they won her first Pro-Bending match, he never said more than three words to her, and they were usually rude.

"Check your stance."

"You're late, _Avatar_."

"Only. Use. Water."

"Not enough power."

And, her least favorite, "Again." The constant drills he put her through to make _absolutely sure_ she wouldn't use Earth or Fire during a match were enough to make Korra want to make an effigy of him and light it on fire.

And watch it burn gleefully.

"Hey!" The sound of her _drill sergeant's_ voice interrupted her destructive fantasy. "You're not done."

"Wrong," Korra snapped, "I _am_ done. I'm exhausted. We've been here for almost four hours, and Tenzin's gonna start freaking out if I'm home late again."

"Your technique for the water bullets isn't right."

"And how would you know, oh wise Master Waterbender?" Her eyes flashed as she took a step toward him, ready for a fight. "I wasn't _aware_ that you could bend more than one element. You must be..." she gasped, holding her hand in front of her mouth, "_...the Avatar or something_!"

Mako rolled his eyes. "Not my fault if you get knocked off." His voice stayed impassive as he turned around, walking towards the door.

"Hey! Don't run away from a fight! I'm not done!"

He just kept walking, the door closing softly behind him as he left the gym.

Korra groaned, slumping down on the floor. _Tenzin's gonna kill me. I really oughta leave. It's not like I can fly home yet, either. I'm not a 'leaf in the wind' yet..._

"Not only must you move like a leaf in the wind, you must think like it too, if you are to airbend. Remain detached from emotions that will prevent you from being free; anger, resentment, guilt, all of these weigh down your spirit and prevent your bending from being what it could be."

"So I gotta be a zombie to airbend?"

Tenzin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Korra, have you been listening in _any_ of these lessons?"

"...yes?" She grinned. "It's time for practice, I gotta go!"

"The meditation's not-oh, never mind." The older Airbender sighed again, wondering if there was anything stronger than leechi juice in the house.

"Korra?" The sound of a male voice interrupted her thoughts, and she stood up, brushing bits of dirt off her pants. "Why are you sitting in here? Where'd Mako go?"

"Apparently I'm unteachable or something." She grumbled as Bolin stepped inside the gym.

"Mako said that?"

"No, Mako'd _never_ say _anything_ like that. He's too _leafy,_" Korra muttered.

Bolin frowned. "...leafy?"

"Yeah, according to Tenzin, to Airbend you gotta be like 'a leaf in the wind' or some other crap. You gotta have, like, no emotions, apparently, and that's totally Mako-well, he can do 'sulky', but that's about it."

"Huh." he sat down on one of the benches, considering. "I always thought you had to be all free and happy and stuff to Airbend."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too." She stretched, yawning slightly. "I should probably-"

"-go home?" Mako's voice came from the door of the gym. "I thought you'd left already."

"Wow, look at that," Korra said innocently, her hands on her hips. "You were wrong. I bet that doesn't happen often, does it?"

Much to her surprise, the corner of his mouth quirked up. "Rarely."

They stood there like that for a moment, until Bolin coughed awkwardly, walking towards the door. "I'm just gonna go upstairs. Stressful day, and all that. 'Night, Korra."

She shook her head, laughing quietly before brushing by Mako on her way out.

"Hey," he caught her wrist and she turned to look at him, faint amusement still on his face. "Be careful going home, alright?"

Korra stopped, baffled for a second before he dropped her wrist and started walking towards the stairs. "Ooh-okay." He cheeks colored slightly, and she mental slapped herself for sounding like a moron.

He turned halfway around, definitely smirking. "We probably couldn't find another Waterbender in time for the Championship."

She narrowed her eyes. "Same to you too, _jerkwad_," she added under her breath.

Her only response was a faint chuckle from the third floor. _Huh,_ Korra thought, swimming back to Air Temple Island (she'd missed the last ferry). _Maybe he's not so leafy after all._

_"Catch me if you can."_

**A.N: How was it? Good? Awful? Did you read it just to tide yourself over til the twenty-first? Leave a comment, please. Comments are love. **


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